Expanding Horizons [O]

Subject: Expanding Horizons [O] Sun 4 Feb 2024 - 13:09

There was a soft 'plomp' sound as Eveningpaw dove head-first into a snowdrift - leaving just her haunch and tail exposed. The apprentice had set out into the territory for a bit of relaxation, some fun and just working on trying to learn how to dig. While it was far from the most graceful way to start a hole, Eveningpaw couldn't deny it was a fun way. She stayed like that for a few heartbeats, letting the snow chill her pelt before she pulled herself free by scrambling backwards. Snow rolled from her shoulders and face as she plopped free, landing on her butt as she blinked a few times to clear her vision. Raising a paw to brush what snow remained, she glanced down at the little hole she had made. It was far from perfect but it was at least a starting point.

Eveningpaw pushed herself to her paws and carefully started to further clear out the start of her hole - doing her best to pack the snow in as she went to keep it from collapsing. She was determined to figure out how to dig - she wanted to be helpful to her Clan and being a tunneler seemed useful, even if she hadn't stepped a foot inside a tunnel yet. She...She wasn't even sure if she would like it with how used she was to the open air but she...She had to be useful - and she couldn't see herself being of any use fighting so maybe this was the path for her...

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Expanding Horizons [O] ABC-Gang-Acornstar-2

Acornstar ♀ ~ Badgermask ♀ ~ Creamsky ♂ ~ Duckpaw ⚧ ~ Eveningmoon ♀
TC T5 Leader (80 HP - 170 SP) ~ SC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ SkC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ RC Apprentice (20 HP - 60 SP)~ WC T2 Warrior (35 HP - 70 SP*)
Rosybrown (Forest)/Sandybrown (Feral) ~ Indigo ~ Tan ~ Olive ~ Icyblue
*Disadvantage Stats

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STOATPAW
Stoatpaw had slipped out of camp quite easily, avoiding detection from Sootstorm and any other warrior watching him. He was still new to his apprenticeship, but his determination was quite strong when it came to trying to be a good WindClan warrior. Now that he was allowed to train, though not on his own, he took every opportunity he had.

On his adventure away from camp, however, he heard the crunching of snow and went to investigate, snuffling at the air to figure out exactly what it was. It was a WindClan warrior, and, upon approach he realized it was one of his denmates. She looked silly. "What are you doing?" He asked, circling around her. He reached out and prodded her flank. "And why?"

Subject: Re: Expanding Horizons [O] Sat 10 Feb 2024 - 15:12

So focused on her focused scraping of snow free from the hole she was making, she failed to recognize the crunching of snow for what it was until a voice and a paw prodding her caused her to jump. Her head had been somewhat in the hole and earned her a solid 'thump' as she jerked it right into the tunnel's roof. Loose snow cascaded around her but she had apparently done a well enough packing it that only a small piece at the edge broke free as she scrambled backwards to land on her haunches.

She shook her head to send the snow that had powered her pelt tumbling free, blinking a few times before she recognized the cat who had stumbled across her as one of her newest denmates, Stoatpaw. Her ears slicked back in embarrassment as she looked down at her work-in-progress hole - it was nothing exciting now that she was getting a good look at it - barely deep enough to cover her head and neck. "I'm...Uh, digging?" she offered weakly, reaching forward to pull some snow free from the entrance of her hole. "I-I've seen our tunnel network but I...Um, I'm curious about what it takes to be a...Um, tunneler. So I thought I would use the snow as a way to practice but I'm..." she sighed heavily, shaking her head. "I'm not very good, am I...?"

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Acornstar ♀ ~ Badgermask ♀ ~ Creamsky ♂ ~ Duckpaw ⚧ ~ Eveningmoon ♀
TC T5 Leader (80 HP - 170 SP) ~ SC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ SkC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ RC Apprentice (20 HP - 60 SP)~ WC T2 Warrior (35 HP - 70 SP*)
Rosybrown (Forest)/Sandybrown (Feral) ~ Indigo ~ Tan ~ Olive ~ Icyblue
*Disadvantage Stats

Number of posts : 703 Age : 26

Galestorm

Galestorm had been nearby when he overhead the apprentice's exchange, a vole hanging limply from his jaws. His ears swiveled in the direction of the voices, and his paws followed suit. He rounded a heather bush and laid the vole down at his paws.

"I think it looks like a good start," Galestorm chimed in abruptly from behind the two cats. He recognized each of them - Eveningpaw, who had been one of the first cats he had met when he left the nursery - and Stoatpaw, nearly the mirror image of his father, Sootstorm. "My mother tells me that my father, Hailstorm, used to be a tunneler. I don't know much about it myself, but I've always been curious, since, you know," he purred, "it was a part of my father. He was a great warrior and he did a lot for his clan. Being a tunneler sounds like an honorable job, Eveningpaw." He took a few steps forward and sniffed Eveningpaw's snow-hole. "What a great idea!" he purred, "Using snow to start with, that's really genius, Eveningpaw. I never would have thought of that. It's much safer to practice with, and easy to move around and shape." He popped his head back up, his eyes glittering. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked with a tilt of his head. "Tunnelers should always have a buddy, after all."

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"I hope that we can meet again one day, you and I," she mewed, "under peaceful skies."

Love Letter to WCC

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STOATPAW
Stoatpaw didn't answer her immediately. He was on his way to go investigate for himself when Galestorm came along. He jumped a tail-length in the air, clear away from Eveningpaw before he whirled around with his claws unsheathed. The wild look he took on quickly faded into something far more embarrassed. StarClan, why? Galestorm saw that! He sniffed hard and gave his pelt a good shake in an effort to let his embarrassment slide off of him. "Hello, Galestorm."

Right alongside his father, Galestorm was one of the few warriors he found himself looking up to. He was so kind and giving, willing to provide for the Clan at any moment and help out another cat. It was exactly what the tom was doing now, inserting himself into a situation so effortlessly. Stoatpaw watched him move towards Eveningpaw, his eyes glossy with admiration. She was lucky to be offered help by such a great warrior. He shook his head next and started towards the timid she-cat, clearing his throat.

"I, uh, I think your tunnel is whatever you make of it, Eveningpaw. It's not gonna be very good if you keep telling yourself it's not very good." The brown spotted tom bent down to give the hole a sniff, then let his olive green eyes dance about it. "Besides... If Galestorm says it looks good, then it's gotta be good!" He gave a firm nod after he raised his head.

Subject: Re: Expanding Horizons [O] Thu 15 Feb 2024 - 17:47

Stoatpaw might not have seen Galestorm approaching, but Eveningpaw certainly did. Her ears slicked back, tail curling around her - thought her brief moment of uncertainity was quickly sidetracked by Stoatpaw leaping away like a startled hare when the warrior spoke up behind him. A laugh escaped her that she quickly tried to muffle with a raised paw before her eyes fell onto Galestorm as he started to speak. Right away, the fear and uncertainty started to claw at her - faced with a cat younger than her who had already gained his warrior name. A cat who clearly excelled in ways she would never - somebody she could never compare against. He spoke of his father, Hailstorm - a tunneler. That it would be a honorable job for her if she chose it...

Her ears slicked back as she drew in on herself a little in embarrassment as Galestorm approached to better inspect her make-shift tunnel entrance, praising her for her idea to start with snow. It...Wasn't like she had much of a choice as it was - there was no getting into the actual tunnels as every entrance was lost in the fields of snow and...And either way, she assumed they wouldn't be safe until well after the snow had melted. But still...The praise felt nice, she had to admit as she pawed at the snow beneath her. "Oh, um, thanks Galestorm," she meowed, before blinking in surprise as he offered to join in. Her throat instantly went dry, fur prickling as she struggled to answer.

It- It wasn't that she didn't want help but already she could feel the fear, worried that Galestorm would prove himself so much better at the single thing she was hoping she could do. That it would turn out to be another thing that it pointless for her to do - why bother when there were so many cats who could do it better than she ever could? But then Stoatpaw spoke up, pointing out that her tunnel would never be perfect in her eyes if she never even gave it a chance - that... Well, it was at least worth trusting in how the others thought of it. If Galestorm said it was good...

"Um, sure - you both can help if you want," she finally managed, glancing down at her barely-deep hole with a flicker of uncertainty. How would they work together on this? Her 'tunnel' was barely deep enough for her to stick her head and neck into it, not enough for another cat to help her with. "Its just... I'm not sure how we would work together. I don't know how tunnelers actually...Do anything and the hole isn't deep enough for even a kit currently... What I was, um, mostly working on trying to pack the snow in around the sides as I went," she explained, flickering her tail towards it. "For, um, support and to try to avoid it collapsing but... Dirt wouldn't pack so easily so I'm not sure how I would keep... Actually tunnels from collapsing?" She glanced over at the two, tilting her head.

"Do either of you guys have any ideas?"

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Acornstar ♀ ~ Badgermask ♀ ~ Creamsky ♂ ~ Duckpaw ⚧ ~ Eveningmoon ♀
TC T5 Leader (80 HP - 170 SP) ~ SC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ SkC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ RC Apprentice (20 HP - 60 SP)~ WC T2 Warrior (35 HP - 70 SP*)
Rosybrown (Forest)/Sandybrown (Feral) ~ Indigo ~ Tan ~ Olive ~ Icyblue
*Disadvantage Stats

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STOATPAW
Stoatpaw hadn't ever dug a tunnel before, but he'd dug plenty of holes. Sticking a paw out, he scooped some more snow out of the way of the tunnel. "You know when you make dirt and you dig a hole? It's probably like that, but just bigger and deeper. You gotta make it a little bit bigger." He started to brush her aside from her own tunnel, wriggling in to stand before it so that he could dig himself.

"I don't really know much about tunneling otherwise." He admitted, scraping more snow out of the way to make it bigger. "But if it's bigger, we can help you out better... Galestorm?" Stoatpaw was sending snow behind him, right underneath his frame into a neat pile. "What's your advice?"

Number of posts : 703 Age : 26

Galestorm

Galestorm's whiskers twitched at Stoatpaw's great leap.
"My apologies for startling you, Stoatpaw," he meowed, flicking his tail. "You're right, if you have your mind set on something, you can definitely achieve it." He gave Eveningpaw an almost knowing glance. He couldn't imagine how Eveningpaw must feel, being a cat on the smaller side and of the age of a warrior, but still remaining an apprentice. Galestorm felt a pang of frustration with Windclan. Cloudypetal was able to become a warrior despite her clouded eye, he thought, so why can't Eveningpaw become a warrior, whether she's small or not?

He listened to the exchange of the two cats and dipped his head at Eveningpaw's thanks. "I'm not really sure either, but I remember watching Molehill dig when I was a kit. I remember that he used to keep stones around all the time and they stuck to the sides of the dens, remember?" Galestorm looked thoughtful for a moment before he continued. "Maybe you could use stones to help hold the dirt up in a tunnel," he suggested. But his eyes brushed over the snow-tunnel. Could it still work? "The snow would melt eventually, but we could still try practicing. I can go gather some now, if you want?" He looked at Eveningpaw, clearly willing her to tell him what to do. If she has a chance to make these decisions, he thought, then maybe it will help her become more confident in herself.

name. uwubers timezone. EST discord. @ uwubers code.kiikko

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"I hope that we can meet again one day, you and I," she mewed, "under peaceful skies."

Love Letter to WCC